SasuSaku Prompts 2019
by Sakura Hibari
Summary: A collection of short stories that center on prompts and themes for SasuSaku month, 2019. My first attempt at writing for this annual event.
1. Far From Home

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the properties mentioned in these stories, I only write about them for both mine and other's amusement.

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**Far From Home**

**7/1/2019  
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Sakura sobbed quietly on top of her small bed. As a young girl of eight years, she knew she was overly conscientious of her self. Being bullied made it almost impossible to pass as a confident, cheerful girl.

She was also aware that her forehead was broader than most other peoples. It made her already small ego, shrink further when her female classmates took the time to point that out to her with their bullying. It was starting to get to the point where she wanted to just leave the ninja academy, but she had worked so hard to convince her parents to go that it seemed like a waste not to.

Whenever she talked about being bullied to her parents, her father Kizashi always waved it off as "kids being kids". Her father was always like that with her. He was the more laid-back parent in comparison to her mother and would often crack jokes at the most awkward of times. Sometimes, Sakura felt that her and her father were from two different planets. They had almost nothing in common with the exception of pink hair and it made her wonder if she would ever seriously get through to him or if he would ever truly understand her.

Her mother, on the other hand, would just frown and respond with a stern, "Sakura, you can't always let other people's opinions run your life. You have to start maturing and not cry immediately when situations become difficult. Stand up for yourself!" After hearing this response, it became rather easy for Sakura to ignore talking about her problems to her parents all together.

It was hard to believe that Mebuki and Sakura were mother and daughter at times because of how different their personalities were. Growing up, Sakura would often hear about how her mother was an outgoing and outspoken person who never lost her nerve when confronted. While Sakura always tried to hide in on herself, hoping people would forget about her presence for once. It was at times like these that she cursed herself for having pink hair. Because of her brightly colored hair, she always stood out more and as a consequence her bullies could always find her in a crowd of people.

Her mother's friends would often comment on the stark differences between parent and child when they visited for tea, "Oh Mebuki! Sakura seems to be a little too withdrawn, don't you think?"

Her mother always responded with a sigh, and then would proceed to quickly change the conversation to some other topic. Sometimes, it made Sakura think that her mother was ashamed of her for being so different.

"Maybe…I should just run away," Sakura whispered to herself as she slowly got up and wiped her eyes of tears. She rolled over her bed and quickly started to pack some of her belongings in a gray colored duffle bag. She gathered some dresses and her teddy bear and a couple of soft blankets. "I could just go to the that hiding place in the woods that I found before, no one would know…," she whispered to herself when doubts started flooding into her mind, wondering about where she was going to live after running away. It was already dark when she crept outside of her home, having tip-toed across the wooden floor boards so her parents wouldn't notice she was gone.

It was still only eight p.m. when she decided to sprint in the direction of her secret hiding place. It would take about half an hour for her to get there. She continued to run unaware that she had caught the attention of someone close by who was walking in the same direction to his home. Hands shoved in his shorts, he frowned as he watched the pink blur of a girl head into the forested area. Feeling conflicted about what he saw, he took off after her.

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Sasuke was just walking out of training ground three when he spotted the pink haired girl, Sakura, from his ninja class, rushing into the woods. She always had that bright, red ribbon tied around her head. He remembered her because Iruka, the instructor at the ninja academy, would always make a remark about her high grades after they had taken a written test. It had annoyed him on some level that a civilian girl could compete with him test wise.

He followed her as she continued to run through the woods with a gray bag over her shoulder. She stopped by a big oak tree that had been hallowed out naturally by its roots. Going into the entrance that was formed there, he watched as she started to unpack things from her bag and place them inside the space. His brows furrowed in confusion as she started to set out blankets.

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted and Sakura jumped up in freight at the sudden sound, while clutching her teddy bear that she had just taken out of her bag.

"W-What?!" She shouted back as she turned around. She was shocked to find the class genius, Sasuke Uchiha, staring back at her with a frown.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be at home right now?" He asked, one of his dark eyebrows raised with confusion. He watched as the girl, Sakura, started to panic with emerald eyes beginning to widen slightly and her cheeks starting to gain a reddish hue.

Sakura felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment as the boy she had secretly had a crush on for the past year had found her in her secret hiding place. She didn't want him to find out that she had been running away from home! What would he think of her then? Probably nothing good.

"I was just…playing around here for a while…," her excuse sounded weak to her own ears, never mind Sasuke's.

"I saw you run over here and go inside that tree just now," Sasuke stated bluntly as he looked pointedly towards the blankets she had recently placed on the grass near the hallowed trunk of the tree. "Are you running away from home or something?"

_'__Why did I have to catch the eye of the one boy who paid attention to things?'_ Sakura thought frustrated that her plan had been discovered. _'Why couldn't he just ignore and leave me alone here?'_

"That is none of your business, you can just leave right now and do whatever you were doing before!" She shouted before she could stop herself. She quickly covered her mouth with her right hand, still clutching her bear in the left. _'Great! I just yelled at Sasuke-kun! He will never talk to me again, let alone like me now!' _Tears began to bead up in her eyes at that thought.

Sasuke's own obsidian eyes widened. He was sure that this was the first time the girl, Sakura, had ever shouted at him before. She was always quiet and flustered in front of him in class. He noticed the tears gathering in her eyes and panicked a little. He didn't know how to deal with a crying girl! Summoning up a bit of his own courage, Sasuke walked forward until he was right in front of her.

"You can stop crying already, I just asked because it's getting late out and your parents must be worried about you," he spoke out softly, a bit uncertain.

Sakura started to hiccup a little bit, "I'm sorry for yelling at you Sasuke-kun. I…I was running away from home," she explained at last while wiping away her tears with the palm of her right hand.

"Why would you do something as silly as that?" he asked as he glared at her slightly.

"Because...I…I wanted to get away from all the bullies in school and my parents just don't understand…why I can't just ignore it...," she choked out.

Sasuke looked down at the pink haired girl only slightly shorter than he was, he did remember a gang of irritating girls always surrounding her desk before and after class. Those girls must have been the bullies she was referring to.

"Even if your parents don't understand, that's no reason to make them worry about you," he scolded Sakura.

"Okay…," she responded feeling guilty for her actions.

"You do pretty good on class tests in comparison to those bullies, right?" Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded her head slowly, unsure of where he was going with this. Sasuke flushed at the sudden attention, thinking Sakura was kind of cute when she looked up at him directly. He could see her bight green eyes shine when she looked at him. It was a nice change considering she usually looked away when talking to him in class.

"Then you showed that you are smarter than they are. It's probably why they bully you." Sasuke continued, "Have more confidence in yourself."

"Thank-you Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered. She glanced down at the grass.

"Pack your stuff back up in your bag, I'll walk you back to your home," Sasuke finished as he turned around and waited for her to pack up. Sakura quickly retrieved all the blankets she had placed on the grass and put them in her duffle bag as fast as she could. She did not want to make Sasuke wait for long.

Once she was all set, she started walking in tandem with him through the forest. She had run far from home so it was going to take awhile before they got outside the forest and to their destination. As she walked beside her crush, she couldn't help but blush. '_Sasuke-kun can be really kind,_' she thought silently.

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**Note: **I am so excited to be writing for SasuSaku month! I don't have an editor though, so I hope I did not make a lot of spelling mistakes, errors...etc.


	2. Patterns

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the properties mentioned in these stories, I only write about them for both mine and other's amusement.

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**Patterns**

**7/2/2019**

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The small family of three had all woken up extra early on a Saturday morning to make the long trek across the village. They were going to visit the custom kimono shop, Hoshi's Dress Shop. The purveyor of the traditional garments was an old man that went by the name of Tsutomo Hoshi, who was something of a celebrity among the more traditional class residing in Konoha. Hoshi-san was considered to be one of the best kimono makers in the village; his work being well regarded and recognized even outside the borders of Konoha.

As they walked towards the store, Sakura couldn't help but muse on her family's current mood. Sasuke-kun, her darling husband, was gazing up ahead of the road they were traveling. Observing the various storefronts and restaurants that they passed by and looking slightly tired from being woken up so early in the morning. He had taken to sleeping in these days after such a long time abroad for his missions in the past. Sakura usually indulged him by letting him sleep in as much as he wanted, glad that he was home, safe and sound.

Her daughter, Sarada, on the other hand was far more disgruntled than her father, having recently returned from a retrieval mission with her genin team the night before. This was evidenced by her constant pouting all throughout breakfast. She whined about not needing to go with them as they started to depart but her complaints were quickly silenced with a sharp look from Sasuke.

"Can we at least go out to eat for dinner tonight?" she had asked them earnestly, hoping for some sort of compromise.

Sakura thought it over a bit before nodding and added, "if we manage to finish our shopping earlier than expected, we'll let you decide where we go to eat, okay?"

Suddenly brightening up at the prospect of eating out, Sarada nodded back happily before slipping on her sandals and skipping outside. Sasuke chuckled at the girl's sudden enthusiasm while Sakura smiled warmly at her cute daughter's antics.

After reaching their destination, the small Uchiha family had stopped in front of a rather old storefront that was surrounded by well-maintained bushes. There were large glass panels that showcased the latest Kimono designs by Hoshi-san along with various other accessories that went with the clothing such as obi belts and kanzashi hair ornaments. The fabric hair ornaments being all the rage amongst the younger generation.

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The reason for going to the shop was rather simple. A friend of the family was finally getting married. Kiba had asked his long-time girlfriend of ten years, Tamaki, to marry him and the Inuzuka clan had gone all out by inviting nearly the whole village to attend the wedding. Needless to say, it was going to be a crowded affair. The ceremony itself would be conducted in a Shinto shrine using traditional Shinto customs, and so Sakura wanted her family to get some new kimonos for the occasion. Sakura had then proceeded to make a reservation at the dress store during the week so that she, Sasuke and Sarada could get their measurements taken and decide on what colors to use for their formal kimonos. After all, Kiba's wedding was going to take place in late April, which was only a month away.

As they went inside, they were greeted by the elderly Hoshi-san who was in the process of taking out his measuring tape and collection of catalogs that showed what patterns an individual can choose for their kimono.

"Welcome to our dress shop," Hoshi-san addressed them politely as they walked deeper into the store's interior. There was a smile encompassing his aged face as he watched them with dark, wide set eyes and ushered them all into a private room that was lined with tatami mats. Upon observing the room further, one could see a single, polished, wooden, low-rise table set in the very center of it. There were even various flower arrangements adorning the vicinity. The furniture and flowers gave off a rather sophisticated yet subdued atmosphere to the entire room.

"It is an honor to once again be able to provide traditional clothing for the Uchiha clan after such a long time," Hoshi-san remarked as he set his tools and catalogs on the table. He then turned to face Sasuke and continued, "I remember your mother, Mikoto-san, came here often to buy kimono. She was quite fond of our weaved Nishijin obi."

"Thank you for your continued service," Sasuke spoke back, slightly surprised that the shop owner could still remember his mother's preferences after such a long time.

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As her measurements were being taken, Sakura remembered how her own mother had always wanted to get a silk kimono from this very shop because of their high quality. Hoshi-san was known for using natural dyes and intricately beautiful patterns on his kimono. The downside of this was that it made the kimonos far too expensive, often running in the thousands of yen. Silk kimonos of such high quality were usually unattainable to purchase for a majority of people in the village and only women from well to do clans were ever able to buy them. Instead, her mother had to contend with buying second hand kimonos from thrift stores for the Haruno family's use. These second-hand kimonos were still in good condition to be worn and were also considered a better alternative to simply renting a kimono for special occasions.

With both Sakura's and Sasuke's combined income they were able to afford these highly sought after kimonos and for a moment Sakura felt genuinely privileged and lucky to be able to purchase such nice quality clothing for her family.

Sasuke was combing through the catalog that Hoshi-san had left out for them to peruse after getting his measurements taken by the craftsman. As he was examining the different geometric patterns on the pages he couldn't help but take a look in a different direction. He quietly observed his wife who was currently standing up on a stool and had her arms stretched out. Hoshi-san was busy scribbling down each of the measurements he was taking in a small notebook he had on hand.

Sasuke had always known Sakura looked beautiful, even in their genin days. Her pink hair was striking and often caught his eye in their youth. But looking at her now, with her emerald eyes twinkling in happiness, he couldn't help but be reminded of her beauty both on the inside and outside. His wife was a compassionate woman who always stood by his side no matter what happened, and he was always thankful to have her in his life. She also took immense happiness from any time spent together with her family. Smiling to himself as he watched her, he contended, that even surrounded by all the finery in this shop, Sakura shone brightly.

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Sarada was the first to get her measurements taken and her color scheme and pattern chosen. She had settled on a fuchsia colored kimono with a repeating floral pattern and a silver colored obi. She then proceeded to wonder back to the front of the store to take a look at the various kanzashi on display.

One particular kanzashi, a single blooming cherry blossom with a silver butterfly, caught her eye and she stared at it longingly. She contemplated on whether or not she could convince her mama and papa to buy it for her before they left the shop.

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After all the measurements had been taken, Sakura decided to go with a pastel green colored Iro-Tomosode that had a silver crane pattern under the waistline and a gold colored obi with a jacquard pattern. Sasuke went with a dark, forest green Iro-Montsuki haori hakama. The hakama pants were going to be made from striped sendaihira fabric. They both wanted to add three Uchiha kamon on their respective clothing. Three to five kamon signified that a kimono was formal wear.

Having finished their shopping, both Sakura and Sasuke thanked Hoshi-san and went out to the front of the store to pay the amount due for their clothing order. Once there, they were met with Sarada who was shyly holding out a cherry blossom hair ornament to them. Sakura chuckled and proceeded to add the ornament to their purchase.

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"What did you think of today's excursion, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked as she sat down next to her husband and across from her daughter in their booth. They were at an okonomiyaki restaurant of Sarada's choosing, for dinner.

"I was surprised that Hoshi-san remembered my mother," he responded as he started looking through the menu that was placed at their table.

"Was grandma Mikoto into collecting kimono?" asked Sarada, curious about her father's side of the family.

"She did have a liking towards artisanal crafts," Sasuke responded after taking a couple of minutes to think back on it. "She had a strong tendency to learn traditional arts and adhered to many of the old practices. She also sometimes forced Itachi and I to learn the practices with her."

"That sounds so wonderful…," Sakura sighed wistfully, being a full-time doctor did not leave her much time to pursue the arts.

Sasuke glanced at his wife amusedly," it wasn't all that interesting. Some of it was rather time consuming and boring at times."

"How could you say that Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, surprised by her husband's attitude.

"Very easily. But then again, I was always more interested in training then learning about the correct way to pour tea," he responded with a smirk. Both Sakura and Sarada laughed at the remark.

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**Note: **My stories are going to incorporate a lot of facts because I like reading about other cultures and their traditions. If I get any of these facts wrong, please inform me so that I can fix the mistakes or alter the content slightly so that it reflects the truth. Thanks.


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